1st Samuel 15:22 To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams.

Actors

Samuel, Saul, Agag, bleating sheep

[Samuel and Saul at palace]

Samuel

This is what God wants me to tell you. I will punish the Amalekites for what they did to Israel. They attacked my people when they were leaving Egypt. So, go attack the Amalekites and completely destroy them and all their stuff. Don't leave anything. Kill all their animals and destroy all their stuff.

Saul

Okay, I'll get my army ready.

[Samuel and Saul exit the stage]

[enter bleating sheep and Saul and Agag]

[Agag stands quietly by sheep and looks like a defeated king]

Bleating sheep

[quietly] baaa, baa baa [Continue bleating in the background.]

[enter Samuel]

Saul

I did what God wanted done.

Samuel

What's this bleeting of sheep in my ears?

Saul

The soldiers brought them. They kept the best sheep and
cattle to offer as a sacrafice to God. But, we completely
destroyed everything else.

Samuel

Stop! Let me tell you what the Lord told me last night.

Saul

Tell me

Samuel

God made you king, and sent you on a mission to destroy the
wicked Amalakites and wipe them out. Why didn't you obey God? Why
did you keep the sheep and cattle and do evil in God's eyes? You
disobeyed!

Saul

But I did obey God, I went on the mission and brought back their king, Agag. It was the soldiers who took the sheep and cattle.

Samuel

Do you think God would rather have you sin and offer a sacrifice or have you obey him in the first place? Since you disobeyed God, he has rejected you as king, you will be replaced.

Saul

[on knees] I have sinned. I didn't follow God's directions. I was afraid of my soldiers and gave into them. Forgive my sin let me worship the Lord.

Samuel

No, it's too late you rejected God, and he has already rejected you as king over Israel.

[Samuel turn to leave Saul grab hem of garment and tear a piece off.]

Samuel

The Lord has torn Israel from you today, and given it to a better man.

[exit Samuel and Saul]

[exit sheep and Agag]

Transition: God's Reasons

Did you enjoy the skit? Who can tell me what the skit
was about? [accept answers] This was not a made up skit. It is a
story from the Bible found in I Samuel, part of the Old Testament.
Saul was the first king of Israel. So, he was a pretty important
man. Why was God upset with Saul? Why was God replacing him with a
different king? [accept answers] [Saul didn't obey God. He knew he
did not get rid of all the sheep and cattle and things and he knew
that the king God wanted killed was still alive. It wasn't up to Saul
to decide what to do. If God wanted the king dead, that was Saul's
job, but he didn't do it. He chose to disobey.] On Monday we learned
that we all have sinned. Just like Saul we choose to disobey
sometimes too. Instead of disobeying, which is sin, we need to choose
to obey. God left us the choice and sometimes it's hard to obey.
When we accept Jesus as our Savior, we are telling him that we want to
obey him and follow him. I hope all of you have made this decision
and that you try your best.

Invitation: Obedience

Invite any children who want to obey God to stay after the lesson and discuss it further.